Orioles recall top prospect Machado

The Baltimore Orioles have recalled one of their top prospects, infielder Manny Machado, from Double-A Bowie, and he will likely start at third base in Thursday night’s game against Kansas City.

Machado, who just turned 20 on July 6, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft and was ranked as the No. 11 prospect by Baseball America heading into this season. He was hitting .266 with 11 home runs, 59 RBI, and 13 stolen bases at Bowie, and while the team still sees him as the shortstop of the future according Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein, the Orioles believe plugging him in at third base will be an upgrade over current options Wilson Betemit and Mark Reynolds.

Machado is a shortstop by trade and has played just two games in his pro career at the hot corner, but he has drawn many comparisons (both in his makeup and his ability) to fellow Miami native Alex Rodriguez – who himself made a successful transition to the hot corner with the Yankees in 2004 – so the team feels he can help them there in the short term.

The Orioles have yet to announce a corresponding 25-man roster move, but the team is carrying 13 pitchers, with righty Miguel Socolovich – who was called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday and pitched two innings against Seattle – the most likely candidate to be returned to the Minors.